BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN INDIAN CITIES WITH HEAT ACTION PLANS

Transcription

1 BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN INDIAN CITIES WITH HEAT ACTION PLANS Kim Knowlton, DrPH NRDC Senior Scientist, Science Center Deputy Director Assistant Clinical Professor, Environmental Health Sciences Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University 9 June 2016 IRI Health & Climate Colloquium 2016

2 Why India?

3 Why Now?

4 NRDC India Initiative on Climate Change and Energy India: Areas NRDC works in Clean Energy (efficiency & renewables) Climate Resilience Climate Policy

5 Ahmedabad s Historic 2010 Heat Wave

6 May 2010 Heat Wave Media Coverage Courtesy of TV9 in Ahmedabad, May 2010.

7 First scientific workshop in March 2011 followed by MOU signed with IIPHG, AMC, NRDC USA PHFI-IIPH and NRDC entered into MOUs with the state of Gujarat and the city of Ahmedabad (AMC) for joint work on heat. PHFI-IIPH and NRDC hosted Scientific Workshop on Climate Change and Heat-Health in Ahmedabad to convene and mobilize 40+ relevant scientists, stakeholders, and partners around heat-health adaptation (March 2011) Preliminary studies commissioned to assess the situation on the ground in Ahmedabad

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9 Slum Community Heat Vulnerability Survey 300 slum households in crosssectional survey using randomized multistage cluster sampling. Associations between heat-related morbidity and vulnerability factors were identified using multivariate logistic regression(info on 1,650 individuals) Key Findings Slum communities, especially age 65+, are vulnerable to effects of heat and unaware of temperature-related health risks. 9

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11 Heat related admissions and mortality among newborns in Ahemdabad hospitals in 2010 During April - June 2010, 24 NICU admissions with high temperature without infection; versus 8 and 4 in 2009 and 2011, respectively High neonatal mortality in NICU; maternity ward was on top floor and under black tar roof As a response, maternity ward was moved to the ground floor in 2012 At 42 C, 64% [95% CI 3%, 89%]reduction in heat-related admissions after moving to lower floor

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14 Creating strong partnerships Building capacity for health professionals; highlighting public outreach Focus group discussing heat action plan strategies

15 Policy Papers: 4 NRDC Issue Briefs Online:

16 2010 Ahmedabad heat wave : May th excess deaths 800 in one week and 1344 excess deaths in May Azhar Shah et al., PlosONE 2014 DEATHS (deaths/day) Daily Death Counts Avg 2009&2011 Daily Death Counts 2010 Max Temp 2010 Average daily temperature (2009 & 2011) Temperature - 47 C Deaths 310/day Maximum Temperature ( C) May

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18 Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan Available online from:

19 Heat Action Plan s Key Strategies To achieve its overall goal of reducing heat-related health impacts and saving lives in the face of rising temperatures, the Plan primarily aims to implement three key strategies: Build public awareness about the health risks of heat waves through community outreach; Initiate an early warning system with a 7-day forecast that provides advance notice to the public about predicted high temperatures and impending heat waves; and Increase capacity among Ahmedabad s health care professionals for treating people with heat-related illnesses.

20 Heat Action Plan Interventions 1 Public Awareness & Community Outreach

21 Dec 2013: Community sensitization workshop in action. March 2013: HAP posters on the streets of Ahmedabad.

22 Coordination and Communications AMC created formal communication channels to more efficiently communicate and respond during extreme heat events AMC appointed a nodal officer who issues advance warnings and coordinates the Plan s activities to improve communication within government and with the public ahead of extreme heat events Capacity building and trainings for health care professionals to improve medical officers overall ability to recognize and respond to heat-related illnesses Awareness-raising trainings and activities to improve worker safety protocols during heat waves Community outreach and education through trainings and communication materials developed for health centers and schools to increase resilience among vulnerable populations

23 Heat Action Plan Interventions 2 Heat Early Warning System: Daily 7-day probabilistic forecasts by from Georgia Tech

24 TEMPERATURE FORECAST TRIGGERS ISSUANCE OF HEAT ALERT OR HEAT WARNING Gujarat State Disaster Mgmt Authority notified Gujarat State Surveillance Unit of IDSM notified Non-Governmental Groups PHFI/IIPH, 108 workers, AIDMI (All-India Disaster Mitigation Institute), Community health groups, and others to help reach the heat-vulnerable AMC Nodal Officer CALLS HEAT ALERT as an Intervention via , with phone call or fax to verify Alert mobile phone companies to send text msg Promote Heat Hotline AMC Press Liaison notified: Media outreach begins TV, Print, Radio alerts Posters & Pamphlets Hospital Labour Water Torrent Power Transpor t Officer Religious Groups/ Library Board School Board Parks, Zoo, Swimmin g Link workers Hospitals/ERs Health center workers Provide water, shade to workers and alter work shifts to cooler hours Provide water tankers to slum dwellers and limit nonessential water use Maintain power to critical facilities/ vulnerable groups Provide bus stops as sites of shade & water distribution Temples and libraries as cooling centers Information to school students and potential change in summer holiday schedule Extend hours

25 Tabletop Exercises Opportunity for Steering Committee practice and discussion on what works well vs. what needs work Committee members were each given a description of their roles and responsibilities Talked through different Heat Alert scenarios re: What would you would be doing in response? Committee played roles as if the scenario were happening in real life Followed by discussion in small breakout groups & exit survey on experiences and suggestions

26 Expanding outreach social media

27 Heat Action Plan Intervention 3 Building Capacity in Health Sector

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29 Historic May 2015 Heat Wave Across India C = F C = F

30 IMD now issues forecasts for ~300 large cities

31 April 2015 Workshop for new cities developing HAPs

32 Where We Are Working

33 Where We Are Working

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35 Summer 2015 & 2016 Pilot Occupational Heat & Air Pollution Exposures Among Traffic Police in Ahmedabad Among a cohort of 16 police, intervieweradministered survey on heat exposures, self-report symptoms, coping strategies, pre-existing vulnerabilities Baseline survey & 3 follow-ups (every 2 weeks) Temperature loggers worn around neck Initial pilot findings: 50% of the participant reported that heat leads to: Absenteeism Irritation Diminished social life More than 50% of the participants complained about insufficient water availability in the work place. Apart from extreme temperature, other reported workplace stresses were Air Pollution, Noise and Standing position Summer 2016: expanded Heat Survey among Traffic Police Officers + adding an Air Pollution exposure assessment

36 Heat Action Plan Communication and Engagement NDMA Public IMD AMC Health Care

37 India Initiative has accomplished a lot with very few people: Ahmedabad s Heat Action Plan has become a model for other cities thanks to Partnerships, Coordination & Successful International Working Relationships. But there are still enormous opportunities and needs in India.

38 Thank you to Ahmedabad Heat & Climate Study Group, Climate Development Knowledge Network, Indo-US Science & Technology Forum, National Institutes of Health, and to the people of Ahmedabad,10 other cities and 2 regions in India kknowlton@nrdc.org; kmk47@columbia.edu

39 THANK YOU